


The Bull's Charge

by Boi_Blue52



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Adoribull - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-26 10:53:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9892043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boi_Blue52/pseuds/Boi_Blue52
Summary: “Dorian eats at least once a week at his favorite restaurant. The menu is inspired and the wine list is extensive. He even turns his friends onto the place, including Varric, food critic of the city paper. Dorian often asks to meet the chef but is kindly turned down by the staff. Until one night he is stopped outside the restaurant by a huge Qunari man. Dorian nearly makes a run for it until he notices the chef whites and the Qunari holds out his hand. ‘Bull. The chef you’ve “dying to meet”?”This is a writing prompt from http://dapromptexchange.tumblr.com/ and I thought I'd try my hand at it. Hope you like it and I hope I can make this into a slow burn/on-going thing between not only Dorian and Bull but also highlight a few other character's relationships as well. (Background relationships can really suck.)





	

“Sparkler this better be as good as you say. I don’t feel like putting another restaurant out of business after I write about them.” Varric said to the other man, pushing up his glasses as he looked up at the sign, walking toward the restaurant with slight hesitance.

 

“I mean the place is called The Bull’s Charge, doesn’t seem like your type of place. Looks like the type of dive I’d go to.” He muses, finishing his thought as he quickens his pace to catch up to Dorian.

 

“Varric, I am a man of refined tastes, do you really think I’d spend my time in some dirty, unkempt restaurant with shit food and even shittier wine?” Dorian quips back sharply, it’s a friendly quip, Varric knows that. He’s known Sparkler for years, that’s why he let this man drag him to this place.

 

“Sure the place is…eccentric…but it stays open late and because of that, it is normally lacking patrons to comment on my obvious Tevinter nature and appearance, which is _exactly_ the way I like it.” He continues pointedly.

 

Varric laughs heartily, “Whatever you say Sparkler, whatever you say.”

 

“Besides, you needed a place to review right?” Dorian says as he pushes open the door, letting Varric go in first, “Here it is!”

 

The two gentleman enter the restaurant, the floor made of worn but at the very least, polished wood,  dangling red sashes lining the windows in a lazy fashion, taxidermy, weapons and other assortments of indiscernible, miscellaneous things on the walls, and cute little plushies of nugs and dragons lined the kitchen window in silly poses. It had a very homey, accepting vibe despite it's rough and tumble appearance, not only that, but you could tell whomever owned the place really cared for it. It was a personal thing that mattered to them, not just a thing that made them money. You don't see many places like this in Thedas anymore. Even so, this place seemed...not Varric's type of thing..especially not if the food and drink was bad.

 

Varric’s eyes widen as he takes in the view of the inside “Well…you weren’t kidding when you said this place was eccentric….” He muttered under his breath, now very much regretting letting Sparkler talk him into this.

 

“Oh come now Varric, what happened to your sense of adventure? Don’t judge a book by it’s cover and all that.” Dorian brushes off Varric’s concern with ease, he’d see why this place was Dorian’s favorite soon enough.

 

Before Varric can respond, a man approaches them with a soft, accommodating smile, “Welcome to The Bull’s Charge, two?”

 

“Good to see you again Cremisus, yes two.” Dorian says politely

 

The man nods and takes them both to a table, handing them their menus and the wine list. “Your waitress will be with you shortly.” He says as he walks away with urgency.

 

Varric takes a look around the place, there weren’t many patrons at this time just like Dorian said, and the atmosphere is very…

 

“Makers breath!” Varric exclaims

 

Dorian shoots up his eyes from the menu he was handed and responds quickly with “What?!”

 

“Is that a fucking _axe on the wall?!”_ Varric says in shock

 

“Yes, yes it is. Yes it’s barbaric, and yes I hate the décor but that’s not really what I come here for. This is not why it’s my favorite restaurant to eat at.” Dorian says dismissively, “You know, normally _I_ am the squeamish one, but here you are jumping at the slightest oddity. Very unlike you.” He smirks, feeling the victory in those words.

 

“…All right fine. How about this? I bet you two royals this place isn’t good as you say it is.” Varric replies with confidence.

 

“I’ll take that bet, it’s a sure win anyways.” Dorian’s smirk grows wider, seeming almost cat-like in glee.

 

Suddenly there is a loud, booming voice letting out a loud swear and a crash, followed by a: “Shit chief! Watch out for the hanging pans will ya?! Jeez.”

 

Dorian looks over curiously at the kitchen window but it’s shut, and his curiosity grows, but after that it becomes silent so he goes back to the menu, scanning it briefly to decide what exactly he wants. Sure, he knew the menu and dishes by heart, but he wasn’t about to order something he didn’t feel hungry for. Varric does much of the same, but he’s also making furious notes, and with the very quiet restaurant it amplified the sound.

 

Dorian let out an exasperated sigh after he picked what he wanted along with the wine and put down his menu, “Sweet Andrastate Varric, could you please save the note taking for _after_ you’ve ordered?”

 

“What?” he replied with innocence, “I am just doing my job.”

 

Dorian rolls his eyes, “Very well, just try not to write so loud.”

 

“Sure thing princess.” He snarks back at him.

 

Dorian huffs and as if their waitress knew they were ready, walked towards them with a light bounce in her step.

 

“Hey there, my name is Dalish, what can I get you?” She finishes the statement with a sweet smile and the ticket pad and pen in hand.

 

“I’ll have the salmon with the spicy mango chutney please.” Dorian said confidently

 

“I’ll have the braised nug meat with mashed potatoes.” Varric responded shortly after.

 

The waitress wrote their order down with ease and nodded softly, “And anything to drink?”

 

“A bottle of Aggregio Pavalli please.” Dorian says quickly

 

Dalish nods and smiles gently, “Okay, we will get right on that. And I will be right back with that bottle of Aggregio for you messeres.” She quickly walks into the kitchen and there is a little more banging and clamoring and swearing as the food is prepared.

 

“See? This place is nice. Maybe not the best in terms of…well…” Dorian trails off as he locks eyes with a taxidermy nug head from across the room.

 

“No shit.” Varric laughs

 

“Well besides… _that_ this place is just fine I’ll have you know.” Dorian prickles defensively

 

“We’ll see about that.” He smirks

 

Dalish comes back with their wine bottle and glasses then pours them each one.

 

“Let me know if I can get you anything else, messeres.” Dalish says sweetly, a trace of nervousness in her voice.

 

“We will.” Dorian says softly, trying to ease her nerves.

 

She nods and leaves to them both to their drink. Dorian picks his up and drinks it immediately.

 

“Rough day?” Varric chuckles

 

Dorian sets the drink down “Please, _everyday_ is rough when you work as a professor for a bunch of Fereldan mages who almost are all convinced that you are an evil blood mage from Tevinter here to steal their souls.” He laughs with a slight bitter undertone.

 

 Most of the worst stuff had died down in terms of prejudice about him being from Tevinter, but that doesn’t mean that it went away. Neither did the homophobic slurs thrown at him from time to time. Pricks. He took another long drink of his wine then set it down.

 

“Fair point, people can be assholes. Sorry about that Sparkler. Just know we are here for you. You got friends.” Varric says sympathetically

 

“I know that.” Dorian says simply, leaving out the _but that doesn’t mean it still doesn’t hurt_ part of his statement.

 

“Good, let me know if there’s something I can do for you Sparkler.” Varric offered in friendly concern.

 

“I will. Besides, you still owe me after that last bet.” He deflects the concern with the friendly banter instead of saying what he wanted to, as usual.

 

“Bullshit! I bought you coffee and helped you correct essays remember?” Varric counters

 

“But then I edited your book chapter remember?” Dorian protested back at him

 

Varric groaned, he had forgotten all about that.

 

“ _And_ I brought you to this restaurant, which you haven’t written about, so you owe me even more now.” Dorian added

 

“Ah shit. All right, all right. Next time we go drinking, _I’ve_ got the drinks.” Varric conceded, “damn infallible Tevinter memories…” he grumbled. Dorian smirked, feeling victorious.

 

Dalish returned with their food, setting it down gently on the table.

 

“Here you both are. Enjoy!” Dalish says cheerfully, then pads away quietly to let the customers enjoy their food.

 

 Dorian watches Varric eat with hope that he will enjoy it, discreetly of course.

 

“What..the-?” Varric says in pure confusion, taking another bite and coming to the same conclusion. “ _Huh_.”

 

Dorian eats in silence, waiting for the dwarf’s response. The wait isn’t very long.

 

“Sparkler, I am sorry, I thought you were fucking with me but this is…this is actually really good! The chef really knows what he is doing!” Varric says with pleasant surprise on his face.

 

Dorian’s face quickly changes from hopeful longing to a smug and victorious face.

 

“I believe you owe me two royals! I had no doubt that you’d like it. I am a man of good taste after all.” He says in a superior, very Tevinter tone.

 

Varric rolls his eyes and eats his food, “Yeah, yeah don’t let go to your head now.” He says with a mouthful of food.

 

“ _Please_ chew with your mouth closed and wait to talk to me until you’re done. Eugh, I can see your food and don’t appreciate it.” Dorian shuddered.

 

Varric laughs and finishes his bite, “There. Better?”

 

“Much.” Dorian responds, satisfied. “Are you sure you are a food critic?” He teases, “With table manners like that, it’s a wonder you aren’t mistaken for an actual _patron._ ”

 

“That’s the point Sparkler, I want to blend in so they don’t know. I don’t want the restaurants to treat me any different than the other patrons. Gives me a more honest review and people love it.” Varric says matter-of-factly.

 

“You raise a good point there, though with your freelance writing taking off I’m sure that you’ll be very recognizable soon enough.” Dorian reminds him.

 

“In case you forgot, I _am_ still a dwarf. Low to ground and very small, most people still bump into me while I wait for coffee. So being recognizable won’t matter too much if I am low to the ground.” He jokes.

 

“Oh ha, ha.” Dorian snipes back, eating a bite of salmon and swallowing it with a snooty look.

 

Dalish then comes back, walking very lightly up to the table, a smile as bright as the sun, “How’s everything tasting messeres?”  


“Good as always.” Dorian responded with a smile just as dazzling.

 

“Very good.” Varric says with honesty and Dalish relaxes visibly, her smile becoming less sunny and more genuine.

 

“Good! Let me know if I can get you anything else okay?”

 

“The bill if you would please.” Varric says politely

 

“Of course.” She replies in a sweet voice, going back to the kitchen where there was a little more noise but not much else.

 

The two men eat in silence until the bill is brought out and put on the table. It wasn’t too costly and Dorian was more than willing to pay it, but Varric snatched up the bill.

 

“Ah, ah ah. No way are you paying this bill. I am not owing you three times over. I got this.” Varric even waggled his finger for effect which made Dorian laugh.

 

“If you insist good sir.” He teases lightly, not wanting to put up much of a fight. Varric had done him a great service by keeping him entertained tonight, especially after the day he had.

 

“I do. You are lucky to have such a good friend.” Varric teases back

 

“Indeed  I am.” Dorian gives a small smile to his friend as Varric slips a few bills and a generous tip in the checkbook.

 

“Well, well, well big spender tonight?” Dorian chuckles lightly

 

“Good service deserves to be appreciated! I think you of all people should know that Sparkler.” Varric cups his chest in mock offense.

 

“I do, I do. I’m just happy you liked it. This place I mean.” Dorian responds lightly, a soft chuckle on his lips.

 

“I did, hopefully the chef will come out and meet me. I’d like to thank him for the meal at least….” Varric responds, a twinge of curiosity in his voice, “That and I want to ask him why he works _here_ of all places.”

 

“I have to admit I was curious as well, I’ve asked to meet him, to thank him for the meals and such, but every time the staff has turned me down. They were polite about it and I never asked much, but still…I’ve never seen him once. I’m honestly dying to meet him.” Dorian says, lost in thought.

 

Just as Varric was about to respond, there is a bit more clamor in the kitchen and then a hulking Qunari walked out of the kitchen in chef whites, walking as softly as his feet would allow towards their table.

 

“…well that answers that question.” Varric says in amused surprise.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if there any spelling mistakes or things that seem off, I have no beta person, so it's just going through me. Thank you. : )


End file.
